America's Food Renaissance

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The transformation of food from kitchen to cultural phenomenon is evident everywhere. “We are witnessing the Italian Renaissance in food …” says Krishnendu Ray, a food and nutrition expert at New York University. “The world of food today is exactly how the world of literature and painting evolved.” A waiter carries out a dinner at Oleana restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

During the warm weather months, Oleana's garden dining is full within 30 minutes of opening. “Locally grown food” and “in season” ingredients are the rage among restaurants in every region. Ana Sortun, the head chef and owner of Oleana's as well as Sofra Bakery in Cambridge, Mass. has earned a James Beard award and a spot on “Top Chef Masters” for her Eastern Mediterranean cuisine made with produce from her husband Chris Kurth's Siena Farms. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

“We are ingredient seekers,” says Ms. Sortun. “Forget that we love farmers and it’s good for the environment and all that stuff. The main reason we [use locally grown food] is because it tastes better.” Nick Celletti-Nissenbaum puts the finishing touches on a "meze' (small dish) of falafel made with spinach. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Kathy Choi (l.) and her daughter Natalie Kim (r.) relax at Sofra, a bakery and cafe co-owned by chef Ana Sortun and pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick in Cambridge, Mass. While a nation of foodies may seem like a recent phenomenon, many see it evolving out of a much deeper food revolution. James Beard introduced the American public to the idea that food could be “gourmet” in the 1950s. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

The gourmand no longer has to journey to a restaurant for a unique food experience. Gourmet food trucks are now showing up in front of office parks and city government buildings offering a variety of fare. In St. Paul, Minn., mobile kitchens such as the Gastrotruck form an outdoor food court. Zuma/Newscom/File

A growing number of Americans today are becoming more sophisticated cooks and consumers of food. Julie Tolek (l.) and Jill Fisher (r.) shop at Siena Farms' stand at the Copley Square Farmers' Market in Boston, Mass. Fisher says she is a dedicated foodie, using social media and checking blogs to learn about ingredients, where to shop, and what to buy. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Farmers’ markets continue to flourish as part of the ‘eat fresh’ movement, with more than 6,100 of them now operating across the United States. Local, organic strawberries are for sale at the Atlas Farm stand in the Copley Square Farmer's Market, Boston, Mass. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Locally grown and locally preserved pickles are available at Copley Square's market. Alice Waters – the grand dame of the “slow food” movement – started declaring the benefits of locally grown goods in Berkeley, Calif., in the 1970s. Her work continues to be influential today. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Executive chef Roger Waysok performs a cooking demonstration at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The chef series that runs from May to October at the botanical garden draws hundreds of people each week. “People ‘get’ food now – they understand the value and they want to know more,” says Kay Logsdon, editor in chief of the FoodChannel.com, an Internet-based cooking resource. Tony Tang

Brehon Garcia-Dale (c.), the Boston Center for Adult Education’s food and wine manager, samples risotto made by students in a cooking class. Cooking is no longer just something your mother does to put dinner on the table. It’s a vehicle to express creativity, forge social connections, and articulate what we have learned from other cultures. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

For Peter (r.) and Trese Ainsworth (l.) of Needham, Mass., this is their first cooking class at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, Mass. Mr. Ainsworth, a lawyer, professes that he is a relatively new convert to the kitchen – but a passionate one. Now he prepares a big family meal every Sunday. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

During a Spanish cooking class for couples at the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts, 10 people learn the basics of using an industrial kitchen: Don’t touch the outsides of the ovens (they are hot); carry knives pointed downward at all times; and most of all – have fun. The group is made up of friends, spouses, and soon-to-be-marrieds. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Chef Dave Ramsey instructs Cynthia Levin (c.) and Teri Kasper (r.) on a simple way to dice an onion quickly at the Friday night course. The weekend classes fill up quickly with several classes running simultaneously Friday evenings and Saturdays. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Jeremy Van Hill and his wife Jen decide what to try first from an array of food that they and fellow classmates prepared. The class was a fifth anniversary present from Jen to Jeremy. Participants followed recipes to make a complete Spanish meal from appetizers to dessert. In an age of a service economy and pervasive cubicle culture, many people who spend a lot of time glaring at computers find cooking a way to create something tangible. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Up-and-coming chef Will Gilson prepares a new dessert that includes chocolate, lemon, and hazelniuts. He is currently taking up a summer residency at Adrian's, a breakfast restaurant in trendy Truro, Cape Cod, Mass. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Trey Leavenworth picks herbs from an on-site garden created by chef Gilson, who grows his own herbs for cooking, behind Adrian's Restaurant. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Gilson's take on a New England favorite - the stuffed quahog clam. Instead of merely stuffing the shell, the mixture is made into a fritter that is served on the shell and garnished with his backyard herbs. Even presentation is being taken to new levels. Cooking and the food itself has been made glamorous. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Not only has the cuisine become more adventurous, so has the venues in which the food is served. Here, the table is set for a Mizu Salon pop up restaurant organized by Eat, the combination pop-up restaurant, food truck, and festival-planning company Gilson runs with business partner Aaron Cohen. Eat offers food in unusual venues. According to their website, "An Eat meal should be not only creative and fun, but also, fresh, local, and good. We want to feed you in unexpected places, and feed you well." Simon Simard

Even the avante-garde is in on food mania. At a flash event called the Wandering Cricket Night Market in Somerville, Mass., food was combined with art for people alerted beforehand. Sage Kochavi serves tea from her cart Curious-i-tea in the back of a U-Haul truck.Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Bahar Baharloo (cq.) and John Dill enjoy a cup of Earl Grey Cream tea at the Curious-i-tea cart. Marketgoers were encouraged to make donations to the vendors. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

JJ Gonson, personal chef and owner of Cuisine EnLocale, stirs porridge for guests in her "mini Valhalla" themed presentation at the Wandering Cricket Night Market. According to Gonson, she served approximately 200 chicken legs during the course of the event. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff

Visitors are served 'yellow or blue" (jello) that shines under a black light in the back of U-Haul truck decorated as the "Zebra Lounge" at the Wandering Cricket Night Market. Joanne Ciccarello/Staff